South East PDP meeting over Obi ends in deadlock

The three Governors produced by the People’s Democratic Party(PDP) and the party stakeholders from the entire South East zone yesterday held an emergency but inconclusive meeting over the choice of Mr Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra state as the Vice Presidential candidate of the party in 2019 Presidential election.

The meeting which was supposed to be held at the zonal party office located at Independence layout Enugu was eventually shifted to the private residence of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, which is very adjacent to the PDP zonal office. Most journalists were barred from entering Senator Ekweremadu”s house while the meeting lasted for several hours.

Chief Austin Umahi, the South East PDP zonal chairman who thereafter returned to the zonal office said the purpose of the meeting was basically to discuss the issue of Vice Presidential slot which they captured in the social media that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate has made the choice of Mr Peter Obi.

He said that the decision reached at the meeting of South East PDP stakeholders is that they are not yet aware of Atiku’s choice for Mr Peter Obi until he (Atiku) comes to inform them officially.

“The decision of the South East PDP leaders at this well attended meeting even at a very short notice is that we are not yet aware of the choice of Mr Peter Obi as the Vice Presidential candidate of PDP. It is well accepted by all that Mr Peter Obi is a great son of Ndigbo and we like him. But we demand Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to inform us accordingly and not through the social media”.

He disclosed that contacts have been put across to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and he promised to do so as soon as he return from his oversea trip.

But in a swift reaction, Mr Oseloka  Obaze who was the Governorship candidate of PDP in Anambra state in the last Anambra state election said it is not mandatory on Atiku Abubakar to have consulted the South East PDP leaders on his choice for his vice before doing so. He said the last records of the previous dispensations during NPN and NPP era proved that a Presidential candidate had the right to choose his deputy and thereafter inform the party leaders etc as the case may be.